Ten Bodhisattvas Named, a Samādhi Shakes Every World
Ten bodhisattvas are named, led by Samantabhadra himself, each having fulfilled Samantabhadra's own vows completely; Samantabhadra then enters a samādhi named Buddha-Flower Adornment, setting every world-system trembling, and Universal Wisdom opens the chapter's long list of questions — the first forty-nine of which begin here.
The Chapter's Questions Begin
After ten named bodhisattvas and a world-shaking samādhi, Universal Wisdom asks Samantabhadra to expound a single, unbroken sequence of questions — not a handful, but the opening stretch of what becomes one of this sūtra's longest and most famous lists, each entry no more than a few words, together sketching the entire shape of bodhisattva practice before a single answer has been given.
其名曰：普賢菩薩、普眼菩薩、普化菩薩、普慧菩薩、普見菩薩、普光菩薩、普觀菩薩、普照菩薩、普幢菩薩、普覺菩薩……。如是等十不可說百千億那由他佛剎微塵數，皆悉成就普賢行願，深心大願皆已圓滿；一切諸佛出興世處，悉能往詣請轉法輪；善能受持諸佛法眼，不斷一切諸佛種性；善知一切諸佛興世授記次第、名號、國土、成等正覺、轉於法輪；無佛世界現身成佛，能令一切雜染眾生皆悉清淨；能滅一切菩薩業障，入於無礙清淨法界。爾時，普賢菩薩摩訶薩入廣大三昧，名：佛華莊嚴；入此三昧時，十方所有一切世界六種、十八相動，出大音聲靡不皆聞；然後從其三昧而起。
Their names were: Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, Universal Eye Bodhisattva, Universal Transformation Bodhisattva, Universal Wisdom Bodhisattva, Universal Vision Bodhisattva, Universal Light Bodhisattva, Universal Contemplation Bodhisattva, Universal Illumination Bodhisattva, Universal Banner Bodhisattva, Universal Awakening Bodhisattva, and so on. Such bodhisattvas as these, numbering ten unspeakably many hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of dust-motes of buddha-lands, had all entirely accomplished Samantabhadra's own practices and vows, and their profound aspirations and great vows were all entirely fulfilled; wherever any buddha appeared in the world, they were entirely able to go there and request the turning of the dharma-wheel; they were skillfully able to uphold the dharma-eye of every buddha, never letting the lineage of any buddha be cut off; they skillfully knew the sequence, names, lands, attainment of perfect awakening, and turning of the dharma-wheel of every buddha who appears in the world, and every prediction bestowed; in worlds without a buddha, they manifested their own bodies and attained buddhahood there, causing every defiled sentient being to become entirely pure; they were able to extinguish every karmic obstruction of every bodhisattva, entering the unobstructed, pure dharma-realm. At that time, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva entered a vast samādhi named Buddha-Flower Adornment; at the moment he entered this samādhi, every world-system in every one of the ten directions shook in the six kinds and eighteen distinct ways of movement, and a great sound emerged that was heard by all without exception; only then did he rise from that samādhi.
爾時，普慧菩薩知眾已集，問普賢菩薩言：「佛子！願為演說：何等為菩薩摩訶薩依？何等為奇特想？何等為行？何等為善知識？何等為勤精進？何等為心得安隱？何等為成就眾生？何等為戒？何等為自知受記？何等為入菩薩？何等為入如來？何等為入眾生心行？何等為入世界？何等為入劫？何等為說三世？何等為入三世？何等為發無疲厭心？何等為差別智？何等為陀羅尼？何等為演說佛？何等為發普賢心？何等為普賢行法？以何等故而起大悲？何等為發菩提心因緣？何等為於善知識起尊重心？何等為清淨？何等為諸波羅蜜？何等為智隨覺？何等為證知？何等為力？何等為平等？何等為佛法實義句？何等為說法？何等為持？何等為辯才？何等為自在？何等為無著性？何等為平等心？何等為出生智慧？何等為變化？何等為力持？何等為得大欣慰？何等為深入佛法？何等為依止？何等為發無畏心？何等為發無疑惑心？何等為不思議？何等為巧密語？何等為巧分別智？
At that time, Universal Wisdom Bodhisattva, knowing that the assembly had fully gathered, asked Samantabhadra Bodhisattva: "Son of the Buddha! I ask that you expound for us: What is a bodhisattva-mahāsattva's basis? What is an extraordinary thought? What is practice? What is a good spiritual friend? What is diligent effort? What is a mind that attains peace and stability? What is bringing sentient beings to accomplishment? What is moral discipline? What is knowing one's own prediction of awakening? What is entering bodhisattvahood? What is entering tathāgatahood? What is entering the mental activity of sentient beings? What is entering the world? What is entering a kalpa? What is speaking of the three times? What is entering the three times? What is giving rise to a mind without weariness? What is discriminating wisdom? What is a dhāraṇī? What is expounding the buddhas? What is giving rise to the mind of Samantabhadra? What is the practice-dharma of Samantabhadra? For what reason does great compassion arise? What is the causal condition for giving rise to the mind of awakening? What is giving rise to a mind of reverence toward a good spiritual friend? What is purity? What are the pāramitās? What is wisdom that accords with awakening? What is realized knowledge? What is power? What is equality? What is a phrase of the true meaning of the Buddha's dharma? What is expounding the dharma? What is upholding it? What is eloquence? What is sovereign freedom? What is the nature of non-attachment? What is a mind of equality? What is giving rise to wisdom? What is transformation? What is sustaining power? What is attaining great consolation? What is entering deeply into the Buddha's dharma? What is a basis to rely upon? What is giving rise to a fearless mind? What is giving rise to a mind free of doubt? What is the inconceivable? What is skillful, secret speech? What is skillful, discriminating wisdom?
其名曰：普賢菩薩、普眼菩薩、普化菩薩、普慧菩薩……如是等十不可說百千億那由他佛剎微塵數 — their names were: Samantabhadra, Universal Eye, Universal Transformation, Universal Wisdom, and so on — such bodhisattvas as these, numbering ten unspeakably many hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of dust-motes of buddha-lands. Only ten names are actually given before the list dissolves into "and so on," yet all of them share the prefix "Universal" (普) — a naming pattern that turns the entire assembly, whatever their individual names might otherwise be, into variations on a single theme of comprehensive reach, fitting for a chapter about to catalogue bodhisattva practice down to its smallest components.
Part 684 Complete
This continues chapter thirty-eight, 離世間品, in fascicle fifty-three. Part 685 continues Universal Wisdom's question list without pause, moving from samādhi and liberation to gardens, palaces, and the adornments of a bodhisattva's own delight.